In many practical applications it is desired to know the position and orientation (the pose) of an object. In many outdoor applications, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is used to derive these measurements with an accuracy of approximately one centimeter in position and sub degree in orientation and with an independent update rate of up to 20 Hz. There are many examples of this technology used in farming, mining, and survey applications. Unfortunately, GNSS based measurement techniques fail when the applications must occur indoors or in an area where satellite signals are blocked in many directions.
A further system is known where the position and orientation of an object is determined using a laser range finder, an azimuth angle encoder, and an elevation angle encoder. The laser beam of the laser range finder, or optionally a pointer beam, is directed onto the center of the object and a range measurement is sampled. The alignment of the beam is facilitated by a telescope or camera with a field of view that is aligned with the laser beam and sensitive to the laser wavelength. Additionally, azimuth and elevation angles are sampled. The position and orientation of the object is calculated from the distance and the azimuth and elevation angles. However, this system is inefficient.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved system and method for determining the pose of an object.